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pilight
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beknighted
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 Posted: 02/10/06 10:24 am ::: Wash Post, etc. |
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The Washington Post story was not merely by-lined; it was the lead sports story in the dead tree edition today. I can't remember a local women's team getting that kind of treatment before.
WTOP, the local news station, led the sports segment I heard this morning with this game as well (and the traffic reporter even talked about it). That sort of thing is usually a once a year event (the sports segment, not the traffic reporter).
About the game itself, my tentative view is that this says somewhat more about UNC than about Maryland, but it's really hard to know for sure. We'll know more after Monday's Maryland-Duke game. Remember, Duke crushed the Terps at College Park just a few weeks ago.
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toad455
Joined: 16 Nov 2005
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| Posted: 02/10/06 10:25 am ::: |
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Wonder if UNC will still be ranked #1. I would think so.
1. UNC
2. Duke
3. LSU
4. Maryland
5. Ohio St.
6. Rutgers
7. UCONN
8. Tennessee
9. Purdue
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ripleydc
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 02/10/06 10:30 am ::: |
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| Quote: |
| Wonder if UNC will still be ranked #1. I would think so. |
me, too! but, I don't think Lady Vols should drop that low.
1. UNC
2. Duke
3. LSU
4. Tennessee
5. Maryland
6. Rutgers
7. UCONN
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bballjunkee212
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Alepp03
Joined: 25 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 02/10/06 11:25 am ::: |
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What's cool and obnoxious about this win is that it really shakes the top 8 up a lot.
Tenn has beaten UConn and Maryland, but lost to Duke and LSU
Duke has beaten Maryland and Tenn, but lost to UNC
UNC beat Duke and UConn, but lost to Maryland
Maryland beat UNC but lost to Tenn and Duke
UConn beat LSU, but lost to Tenn, UNC, and Rutgers
LSU beat Tenn and Baylor, but lost to UConn
I think either Duke or UNC could be #1
I'll go with...
1. UNC
2. Duke
3. LSU
4. Maryland
5. Tenn
6. UConn
And it's not as though the rest of the top 25 is real easy either...
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CourtsideTix
Joined: 19 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 02/10/06 11:46 am ::: Re: Wash Post, etc. |
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| beknighted wrote: |
About the game itself, my tentative view is that this says somewhat more about UNC than about Maryland, but it's really hard to know for sure. We'll know more after Monday's Maryland-Duke game. Remember, Duke crushed the Terps at College Park just a few weeks ago. |
I think it says a great deal about Maryland. They are a young team, not used to being ranked this high, and they were still able to, in Brenda's words, "grind it out" against the top team in the country, on that team's own court. It says that they are arriving, not that they have arrived. I expect Duke to beat them on Monday, but last night was an additional step on the road to becoming an elite team.
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beknighted
Joined: 11 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 02/10/06 1:29 pm ::: Re: Wash Post, etc. |
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Well, as I said, it's just a tentative view. Monday will help define whether this really is a step forward by the Terps or a hiccup (or sign of bigger issues) for the Heels.
The thing is that Maryland has been exhibiting a lot of characteristics of teams that haven't really jelled, like the close calls against teams that shouldn't be able to stick with them. With just a few bad bounces, the Terps could have 5 or 6 losses in the ACC right now instead of just the 1, and that shouldn't be the case with the talent on that team.
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bballfan2005
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| Posted: 02/10/06 1:52 pm ::: |
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UNC will be fine and should win the rematch.
As far as them being #1, I just can't see it.
Terps win...good for them. I never thought in a million years that they could beat UNC in Chapel Hill, but they did. Now all Duke has to do is defeat Maryland and UNC and it's onto a #1 seed.
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bballfan2005
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PUmatty
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 02/10/06 2:06 pm ::: |
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| The thing that would concern me about this game if I were a UNC fan was the apparent complete lack of defense they played.
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Alepp03
Joined: 25 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 02/10/06 2:06 pm ::: |
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I think that a team with jelling problems would be the team that drops those few games that are too close to teams that shouldn't be hanging with them.
I think what Maryland has shown is that they are young, need improvement in decision making and control, as well as learning to keep the right focus and intensity for an entire game. Still, with these problems, they showed supreme skill and "togetherness" by pulling these games out. The only teams who have managed to find a way to break the Terps were on TV not too long ago playing the first of two 1 vs. 2 games this year.
Additionally, I think that Frese has shown a clear focus on trying to find the right combinations, whether based on situations, matchups, injuries, or whatever, which is shown by the shuffling of lineups from day 1 til now. I think that the current starting lineup - Toliver, Doron, Harper, Langhorne, and Coleman should be what is stuck with from here on out. But still, I think it'd be difficult to expect the world of Maryland at this point, even with all this talent, because they are still very young and inexperienced in the big time. But this season they have played the big games, fought through injuries, shown themselves as competitors, won close games, and found themselves with a target on their back and a win over the #1 team in the nation.
Maryland is something to be weary of for at very least the next four years.
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beknighted
Joined: 11 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 02/10/06 2:36 pm ::: |
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I think you meant "wary," although I could get weary of them, too, if they're as good as you'd like them to be.
You can view the hair's breadth escapes either way, I admit. But what you really want to see is a team figuring out that it's better to win easily. (And I say that as a fan of a team that has a habit of winning the hard way.) It's one thing to have a game you win that way against teams you should beat handily; it's another to have three or four.
Now, Duke used to do this sort of thing in the Alana Beard era all the time. It worked out okay, in general, but then again sometimes it didn't(FL State in 2004, Toledo in 2002).
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Joey Nations
Joined: 03 Jan 2006
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| Posted: 02/10/06 3:25 pm ::: |
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| Quote: |
| The thing is that Maryland has been exhibiting a lot of characteristics of teams that haven't really jelled, like the close calls against teams that shouldn't be able to stick with them. With just a few bad bounces, the Terps could have 5 or 6 losses in the ACC right now instead of just the 1, and that shouldn't be the case with the talent on that team. |
As far as your jelling issue goes let's look at the team in depth. Of the 7 core members of the team, 3 have major experience (Shay, Crystal and Jade), 1 has minor experience (Newman) and 3 are basically frosh (Harper, Toliver and Coleman). It's hard to jel when you have all these players with new roles on the team, especially when the injury bug bit them in december. The one difference is that young teams often lose these close games, for some reason this team hasn't.
Just something to chew on:
Aside from the VT game, I believe Maryland has trailed in the final minutes against BC, Virginia, Wake and UNC, yet has rallied to tie the game and send it to OT where they have won. The one time this year Maryland lost one of these close games was against UT, the fifth game of the season. Young teams don't often show resiliency and the uncanny ability to not want to lose._________________ "People kept saying why are you looking at Maryland, why are you even talking to them? Well, look at us now!" - Crystal Langhorne, NCAA Champion
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O.G.
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 02/10/06 3:32 pm ::: |
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| PUmatty wrote: |
| The thing that would concern me about this game if I were a UNC fan was the apparent complete lack of defense they played. |
That's how I feel (of course I can't help but wonder if a few made free throws plus Larkins and Miller in OT might have turned the tide). But give MD credit for handling the pressure D, and pulling out a tough win. They clearly belong in the ranks of the elite teams this year.
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dukemayo
Joined: 27 May 2005
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| Posted: 02/10/06 3:33 pm ::: |
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One thing about the game that surprised me was Toliver bringing the ball over halfcourt and firing up 17-20 foot shots. No pass or even attempt to pass, just shoot. I bet she did that for about half of her 15 shots. Also surprising was that Frese seemed just fine about it. Anyone know or have a guess about why Frese allows this?
I really like Toliver's demeanor, by the way, and most of her game. Not many freshmen would have held up as well as she did in that environment.
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Alepp03
Joined: 25 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 02/10/06 3:43 pm ::: |
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| If you're a good shooter, and you have the look, I can see where a coach wouldn't mind that you take that shot - provided that you have solid offensive rebounding and that your general game plan is focused more on getting off a lot of shots opposed to being patient and getting the absolute best option.
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Joey Nations
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| Posted: 02/10/06 4:01 pm ::: |
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She does sometimes have a quick trigger, but it's better than last year when Anesia rarely shot the ball._________________ "People kept saying why are you looking at Maryland, why are you even talking to them? Well, look at us now!" - Crystal Langhorne, NCAA Champion
http://www.terpswomenshoops.blogspot.com |
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ripleydc
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 02/10/06 4:06 pm ::: |
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| teams have been doubling up on crystal all year. if nobody comes out to guard kristi, she launches it. I have the impression Coach B has given her the greenlight. when she hits them, which she often does, it makes the defense loosen up.
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mikey87
Joined: 29 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 02/10/06 4:07 pm ::: |
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| THE REFS in WCBB continue to dissapoint with the NO CALLS and the TOUCH FALL thing it's like you mightest well not play D anymore , and this game in particular LARKINS was hammered but I just hope she is ok she's an awesome player, the OFFICIALS need to get it together because the game is just too physical right now they will not be able to stop a fight if one breaks out because they suck at officiating.
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